Distribution, abundance and seasonal flux of pteropods in the Sub-Antarctic Zone

Pteropods were identified from epipelagic net and trawl samples in the Sub-Antarctic Zone during the 2007 mid-summer (January 17February 20) Sub-Antarctic Zone Sensitivity to Environmental Change (SAZ-Sense) voyage, as well as in a moored sediment trap in the same region. Overall pteropod densities...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
Main Authors: Howard, WR, Roberts, D, Moy, AD, Lindsay, MCM, Hopcroft, RR, Trull, TW, Bray, SG
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd 2011
Subjects:
Earth Sciences
Oceanography
Biological Oceanography
Antarctic
Southern Ocean
Antarc*
Antarctica
Limacina helicina
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2011.05.031
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/70542
Description
Summary:Pteropods were identified from epipelagic net and trawl samples in the Sub-Antarctic Zone during the 2007 mid-summer (January 17February 20) Sub-Antarctic Zone Sensitivity to Environmental Change (SAZ-Sense) voyage, as well as in a moored sediment trap in the same region. Overall pteropod densities during SAZ-Sense were lower than those reported for higher-latitude Southern Ocean waters. The four major contributors to the Sub-Antarctic Zone pteropod community during the SAZ-Sense voyage, Clio pyramidata forma antarctica , Clio recurva , Limacina helicina antarctica and Limacina retroversa australis , accounted for 93% of all pteropods observed. The distribution of the two dominant pteropods collected in the Sub-Antarctic Zone, L. retroversa australis and C. pyramidata forma antarctica , is strongly related to latitude and depth. L. retroversa australis is typical of cold southern (5054S) polar waters and C. pyramidata forma antarctica is typical of shallow (top 20 m) Sub-Antarctic Zone waters. A moored sediment trap deployed to 2100 m at 47S, 141E in 2003/04 showed the pteropod flux in the Sub-Antarctic Zone had late-Spring and mid-summer peaks. The diversity, abundance and distribution of pteropods collected during SAZ-Sense provide a timely benchmark against which to monitor future changes in SAZ ocean pteropod communities, particularly in light of predictions of declining aragonite saturation in the Southern Ocean by the end of the century.

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